Book reviews

Fairlie Articulated Locomotives


Subtitle	Vol. 1 On the American continent
Author	Donald Binns
ISBN	781900095167
Publisher	Trackside publications
Published in	2001
Language	English
RRP	£ 14.95
Price paid	£ 11.21
Date	29-09-2009
Seller	Midland Counties Bookstores
# Pages	96
Size	18.5 x 24 cm
State	New

Review

Publications on the Fairlie type are rare except for the well trodden paths of the Ffestiniog Fairlies. It is nice to see that the Fairlie reached a fair amount of success until the advent of the Gölsdorf axle. The overview seems complete, although I have no means to check it. Main omission though is that the book makes no account for single and / or Mason Fairlies. For some reason Binns declared them out of scope though the title does not hint in that direction.
The book is not much more than a dry enumeration of all examples built. Interesting but tough reading. It must be realised though that most of the Fairlies were operational between 1870 and 1920 and many of them before 1900. So there are no modern performance statistics, no eye witness accounts, no footplate or driving reports. Except that and you have a good collector's book